


We could be Heroes (Just for one day)

by FeatheredAngel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alya and Nino are the best, Angst, Chloé's redemption, Coping Mechanisms, Depression, Heavy Angst, It gets happier later I swear, Marinette learns to use a real yo-yo, Multi, Pining, Post-Reveal Love Square, Slow Burn, Superheroes without the Super, Touch starved teenagers, kickboxing and fencing, there's a lot of hugging between them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-03-09 09:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13479000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeatheredAngel/pseuds/FeatheredAngel
Summary: "Ladybug and Chat Noir are criminals now, we can't use those names""What about... Mariquita?""Coccinelle... and Félin Noir""Time to save Paris again... Lovebug"_____________________After two years of being miraculous holders, Ladybug and Chat Noir finally defeat Hawkmoth and save Paris, but the battle was not harmless and people were injured, which ended with their miraculous being taken, forcing them to become civilians again.What can Paris' ex heroes do when a new villain comes to destroy Paris? Are their miraculous the only way to save their city and families? What can two powerless teenagers do?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I was watching The Incredibles the other day and I basically thought "what would happen if that happened to LB and CN?" which basically ended with this story. 
> 
>  
> 
> READ BEFORE STARTING:
> 
> This story talks about depression and coping mechanisms that Marinette and Adrien use. The angst in the start is heavy, we don't see the smiling and happy characters of always, you've been warned. 
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO this story has a Chloe redemption arc, it's not deepened but yes it happens. 
> 
> I marked this as Teen and Up Audiences because of language but this does not contain smut or any kind of physical affection that can be interpreted as such.
> 
> I'll add more tags later !
> 
> Enjoy! ❤❤

**Hawkmoth DEFEATED!**

_Paris' heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir, in an incredible exploit, managed to identify Hawmoth's whereabouts and in an epic fight which lasted a whole night, finally Hawkmoth was  taken by the famous superheroes. His identity is yet to be revealed by the police, but we expect to have the news tomorrow_

_  
_

"No, It can't  be! Everyone but him!"

"Chat..."

"I- I have to go..  I-"  


 

**Hawkmoth Unmasked!**

_It came as a shock to the people of Paris when this Sunday the police revealed in front of international news that the supervillain known as Hawkmoth is no one but the famous Parisian designer Gabriel Agreste. The notice has caused a massive crisis for the fashion world and Gabriel Fashion Company, which is now being investigated for accomplices._  
_But people are confused, what made the designer  bring such pain and destruction to Paris? Was it pleasure? Did he have a goal apart from taking Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous? What's on the mind of that cruel human? Only time will tell._  


 

"Adrien open the door"

"Go away, Ladybug"

"Chat please..."

"Leave.Me.Alone. I don't want to talk just...leave...please"  


 

**Agreste fallen**

_After the company's owner and director Gabriel Agreste reveal as the famous supervillain and criminal Hawkmoth, Agreste has lost its most important investors, leaving the company bankrupt._  
_Gabriel Agreste's PA, Nathalie Sancoeur, was the only employee who was investigated with charges of complicity for Agreste. Later, the police discharged Sancoeur when she was found not guilty; the PA said:_

_"I was aware of my boss' rather suspicious attitude but I never got closer to know what happened behind closed doors. Even as the closest person to him, I was not allowed to know a lot of things about his secret activities"_  


 

"Marinette?"

"Come on, we're leaving this place. You are not going to keep hiding from us, your friends. I-we know that what the press said about you is bullshit. Pack your things you're going to my house..."

"Mari-"

"I'm Ladybug"  


 

**Victim of the 'Big Defeat of Hawkmoth' presses charges**

_After a week has passed of the victory of Chat Noir and Ladybug against Hawkmoth, a victim of the collateral damage the fight caused pressed charges against Ladybug and Chat Noir. The victim accuses that the fight caused her to break three ribs and having a concussion which lead her to the hospital. As we know Ladybug cured and restored everything after the battle, but the victim is not content with that and an apology,  sued them for..."_  


 

"The bitch is crazy!"

"Alya..."

"Ladybug and Chat Noir save all of us from destruction and she sues them because of it?"

"Calm down, babe, she ain't gonna get anything anyway, no judge would let her get away with that,  she doesn't even have scars. There is not proof, is her word against LB and CN"

"You're right..."  


 

**Other victims from the Big Defeat join the movement against Paris' superheroes.**

_"They can do what they want and no one bats and eye. We think that restoring everything doesn't cover what we've suffered._ "  


**Mayor Bourgeois breaks silence.**

_"There's nothing we can do if we don't know their identities"_  


**New request from the Anti-bug movement shocks Paris.**

_"The villain was defeated. Paris doesn't need them anymore, so it's time for them to: or reveal themselves so we can trust them again, or hand their miraculous under the protection of the police and get back to being civilians..."_  


 

"What are we going to do, Marinette?"

"I-I don't know"

"You don't think the Mayor would accept that kind of madness, do you?"

"I don't even know anymore, Adrien"  


 

**Mayor, Against the wall**

_Big congressmen had spoken up about the Miraculous case and have manifested their support to the victims of the Big Defeat and oppose to the Mayor's position of defence of the superheroes. They had publicly declared that Bourgeois' actions, if not controlled, are going to take him away from the mayoralty_  


 

"Daddy you can't do this!"

"Chloe I can't do anything else... we could lose everything..."

"Is your career more important than what people need? We need Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"I'm sorry, doll, but there's times when even I can't do what I want"

"Hypocrite!'  
  


 

**Mayor Bourgeois speaks about the Miraculous case**

_This afternoon the Mayor of Paris called for a press conference where it had been revealed that Ladybug and Chat Noir had given their miraculous  up for Paris to keep safe and had gone back to their civilian lives, promising to never say anything about their superheroes lives. This is what he had to say:_

**_How can we be sure the miraculous you've received are real?_ **

_"I can assure you these are real. We had three witnesses, every one trustworthy, go into a room with the transformed superheroes where they took off their miraculous, triggering their transformation back to their civilian forms. Actually only these three people know who the real heroes are under the masks"_  


_  
_

"Alya, thank you for witnessing...you too, Chloe"

"It's nothing, I may not like you, Marinette, but Ladybug is my hero and would never betray her"

"Mr. Raincomprix, thank you so much for doing this..."

"Protecting is my life job, kid, I will keep this secret forever"  


 

_**What is going to happen now with Paris' security?** _

_"Now that there's no more magic-melated threats, the security of Paris is going to be the priority of our Police, as it has always been."_

**_And what is going to happen with our ex heroes? Are they back to their homes living like ever other day?_ **

_"They had signed a contract of silence, as I said before. There's no more danger for them... Our heroes are safe and that is the only thing that matters."_  


 

"Master Fu, thank you so much for what you've done for us..."

"No, Marinette, I am the one that has to say thanks... You kids have done more than what I can have hoped for..."

"What will happen with the miraculous... now that you have them all?"

"I have to go back to China now and restore the temple of the guardians, these Miraculous have to stay safe until needed"

"So this is the goodbye... forever?"

"It is, Adrien..."  
  
  


**Ladybug and Chat Noir, where are them now?**  
  
  


"There's always room for one more!"

"Mrs. Cheng..."

"Adrien please, you've been staying with us for two moths now, what's just cleaning space from Marinette for you?"

"But..."

"Not hearing a thing, young boy, it's definitive. We already talked to Mrs Nathalie and she will bring your things here, that's settled"

"I-thank you... Sabine... thank you so much..."  
  
  
  
  



	2. Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back to normal is not easy, even more if part of you was left in the past.

Five months later...

  
"Marinette! Adrien! breakfast is ready!"

The Dupain-Cheng bakery was not what it once was. Yes, the sales were amazing and the food was still Paris' best, but there was a missing spark on the atmosphere. The family that once was one to envy for the love they radiated, now was muted, more serious.   
Sabine and Tom were worried for their kids. Adrien was never one to show his emotions that much, they knew that, but after the kid's father was revealed to be the biggest criminal of Paris, he was even more closed off, that much that not even his favourite cookies could make him smile anymore.   
Marinette was another story. Their daughter was a ray of sunshine, a very caring and loving person, always trying to make everyone smile; she hardly ever laughed now, the only thing that made her smile once in a while were her friends. Alya and Nino didn't come around as much as before.

They didn't know what to do with them, how to help them. Tom and Sabine were no idiots, they new their daughter was Ladybug, the had found out a little before the Big Defeat had taken place. They were relieved Marinette was safer now without her miraculous, but if being a superhero would bring the smile back to her face, they would take the danger over again for her.

That didn't mean they wouldn't try to make it better for them anyway. Like right now, their favourite breakfast was served on the table, hot and waiting for them.

"Kids, come down or you'll be late!" it was a lie. They were never late these days, always waking up when they had to and leaving just in time to school, but if the adrenaline kick would make them move, it would be good.

"We're coming, maman..." Marinette descended the stairs with Adrien behind her. She was using her hair down, never styling it with the two pigtails anymore; Adrien had his hair everywhere too.

Sabine started brushing their hair while they ate. It was a natural morning routine by now, making them presentable to go to school.

Marinette and Adrien ate in silence like everyday. Both knew they had to talk to each other, they lived together, it was natural, but for some reason they were tired all the time. Both thanked Sabine with a kiss on the cheek for their breakfast, which was like a full hug from them in their current states.

They climbed the stairs into their bedroom, taking their bags from the floor. Marinette sat on her desk for a moment, lifting the small plushie lying there. Marinette had made one for Adrien originally, a small replica of his kwami with big green eyes and a cheese accessory; she didn't know it would help him as much as it did. Adrien didn't speak for a month after they had to give up their miraculous so she made it for him so he could have company when needed. Mari saw him late at night curled on his bed with the toy, talking with it like a little kid and feeding it cheese.

She has made a plushie for herself the next day.

She remembered the horrible day they had to say goodbye, just an hour before having to give their miraculous away. She had cried like a baby while hugging her kwami, who kept saying how proud she was of Marinette and how much she would miss her; but Marinette couldn't say anything back to her, she just kept repeating her name over and over until she couldn't say anything else.

After Master Fu's departure, everything crumbled to pieces; that was when Adrien started living with them permanently, using a corner of Marinette's bedroom closed by a big folding screen her grandma had given her to divide the room and give the teenager a little privacy. Marinette couldn't even enjoy the new development with her friend/crush because of the circumstances; all she could do was try to help him recover while ignoring her own pain.

She knew she was being a burden to her parents: half the time she could barely work on the bakery and the other half she was messing up orders, her grades were worse than before and she would often find herself trying to climb to the rooftop unconsciously. She had tried to keep everything inside, the ache of her heart and the piece of her who wanted to jump off a building just to feel the adrenaline again, just one more time, but it had just ended with her sobbing uncontrollably in the school's bathroom with Alya trying to help her to stop.

Alya, how good her best friend was with her, always trying to cheer her up. She knew she was a burden to her too, and for Nino, even for Chloe who - shockingly for everyone - had decided to started over with Marinette giving her a shoulder to lean on. She was a burden for Adrien too. Adrien, who had problems of his own, who not only lost his miraculous and found out his father was the villain who more than once had used him as bait, but also lost his home and had to replace it with a small home where he didn't even have his own room yet.

She felt so bad for them, for her friends and family, she often found herself on the verge of tears just thinking about the old times when she could help them instead of the other way around. Just like right now, she found herself hugging the toy tightly trying to contain the tears that wanted to fall. She breathed through her nose pushed the toy inside her bag, whipping her tears quickly before anyone could see them. Adrien came from his own side of the room with equally red rimmed eyes. They were a mess.

They left their home with their backpacks in hand, crossing the street just as the school opened its doors. Mr. Damocles nodded at them as greeting, knowing that he would not get any verbal answer but just nods in return. They sat in a small bench in the first floor and waited for Chloe to arrive.

The Mayor's daughter used to arrive just in time for the bell to ring, but since they started to arrive so early she made a promise of doing the same. Chloe had changed so much for them, for her best friend and the ex-superheroe she admired so much. When she arrived this time, she was carrying some kind of box and Alya was coming with her, instead of Sabrine. Marinette opened her eyes, surprised, to see the two of them together.

It was true that after their reveal the girls stopped fighting and had joined forces (Nino too, but he didn't know why) to help their friends. That didn't mean they were friends though, so they coming together was something to be worried for.

"Alya? Chloe? what are you doing here so early?" Adrien asked at her side, sitting straighter. He was suspicious too, Marinette noticed. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, something happened, Sunshine" Alya answered kneeling in front of them in the floor. Subconsciously, Marinette moved hands to touch her earrings and inside her bag for the kwami toy, gasping when she didn't feel the pearls in her ears. Beside her, Adrien stiffed too, and she knew he was doing the same as her.

"We are worried about you two" Chloe sat beside Adrien and passed them the box "We didn't know what to do, so..."

"We found something for you two, the internet said it could help you... you know... be happier"

"What..." Slowly, Marinette opened the box. Inside were a metallic red yo-yo, similar to the one she used as Ladybug; beside it, was a baton of the same metal. "What-What is this?"

"I asked daddy and he had these two made for you" Chloe said, grinning "They are not magic, but they are, let's say... therapeutic."

"We know sometimes you two may feel sad and would feel like it's too much, being separated from your...miraculous" Alya whispered the last word "these are made for when you are feeling bad or when anxiety may kick..."

"They are meant to be an anchor for you, to settle you down when you are feeling bad" Chloe stroked Adrien's shoulder. "Try it out"

Adrien took the small baton carefully, gasping when the weight of it settled on his hand. It felt just like his. Chloe was right, it felt like an anchor, like he hadn't in months he felt whole again, normal, like he belonged.

"Thank you, girls" Adrien looked awed at his grinning friends.

Adrien looked at his side. Marinette had the yo-yo in her hands and was looking at it like a precious item, like a relic. Slowly, she put her hand up like she usually would to throw the yo-yo, then closed her eyes and left it fall.

It stayed in the ground.

That was when everyone heard Adrien laugh for the first time in a long time. It was not even a giggle, he was full laughing at his friend like he hadn't done since he first met her and the umbrella closed on her. Marinette felt like falling in love again at hearing him laugh so freely, just squeezing his stomach and leaning to Marinette for support.

That day was the shortest and happiest Marinette had in a long time. After school Adrien still sported a small smile, barely there, but it was enough for Marinette's heart to go into a crazy frenzy. Alya had hugged them tighter than before and Chloe had kissed them both in the cheek before leaving, making her promise to use their gift when needed.

Adrien went into a laugh attack again at remembering Marinette failure.

"Oh would you just stop already?" Marinette asked in an annoyed tone although her smile betrayed her "It was not that funny!" Adrien opened the door to their home for her and chuckled at her red face.

"I'm sorry it's just... I can't believe it!" they sat on the sofa upstairs and Adrien giggled

"Come on it's not like everybody knows how to use a yo-yo!" Marinette pouted and Adrien chuckled again.

"But you're Ladybug, Marinette! How can you not know how to use a yo-yo? That's like half of your personality!"

"The yo-yo was magical! I didn't have to know how to use one?! Or did you know how to use that baton before becoming Chat Noir?!" the girl was surely enjoying their playful conversation.

Before the Big Defeat, when they still were just friends from school as Marinette and Adrien they used to tip toe around each other for a while, not really sure where they stood. They were close, certainly, Adrien often introduced her as one of his best friends - she used to groan internally at the friend term - and Marinette was happy to be close to him, even if it was not as close as she really wanted to be. They used to enjoy having these conversations, bantering about their interests and having fun.

Adrien used to laugh so hard when they did that...

And he was doing it again.

"In my defence, I practiced fencing!" he made a motion with his hands "I at least had an idea how to work with my baton!"

"Oh yeah because you knew how to fly across roof with one BEFORE becoming a superhero???"

"No but-"

"Look what we have here!" a cheerful voice came from the door and they turned around to find Sabine smiling softly with a tray of baked goods. "You look better, kids"

"We-We-Us, you mean?"

"Of course!" she put the tray down in front of them "I hope you're hungry, Tom just made these" Marinette's face lighted up at the sight of the pastries and her stomach rumbled. That was new.

"Thanks maman" she kissed her mother's cheek and took one of the sweets. She used to enjoy sweets so much, what had happened? Why didn't she bake like before? Before, she couldn't go a week without going to classes with sweets for everyone, how long has it been since then? 6 or 7 months? She wouldn't know.

Oh, she did remember. The morning of the day they defeated Hawkmoth she had brought croissants for Nino, Alya and Adrien. They couldn't even give them a bite before someone was yelling bloody murder and an akuma had appeared in the street. It was a silly akuma, if she had to admit it; a man who hated butterflies because they ate his favourite shirt. She had wanted to catch it as fast as she could so she could go back to school, but Chat had told her to wait.

_"This Akuma wants to get rid of the butterflies right? You know what that means, m'lady?"_   
  


What had Hawkmoth had in mind, she couldn't know, but his carelessness brought them to him when the akuma had lead them to Hawkmoth's lair in the Agreste mansion.

Soon they had him lying unconscious on the floor, his miraculous in Chat's hand and the akumatized victim safe. Marinette had turned around to go find Adrien, who had to be home by that hour, but a hand on her had stopped her. Turning around, she saw Chat with tears rolling down his face and her hand clasped with his tightly; she hadn't know what was happening until, without him saying anything or his miraculous running out of time, his transformation was triggered and in front of her stood a shocked and bloody Adrien with his kwami trying to call him out of his shock.

That old Marinette hadn't know what to do in that moment. Gabriel's assistant, Natalie, had called the authorities because of the noise she heard and the presence of Chat Noir and Ladybug. When they arrived she had taken Chat to another room where no one could see him and he had cried on her shoulder for two hours non-stop.

Marinette hated remembering that day, it always made her had panick attacks thinking how helpless she had felt trying to help her best friend not to fall to pieces. Like right now, her breath was starting to quicken and her vision was becoming blurry. She heard Adrien moving beside her and her mom kneeling in front of her calling out her name.

Something touched her hand, something cold and heavy. She closed her hand around it and tried to take a deep breath, just like someone was saying, was it her mom or Adrien? or was it her dad? It didn't matter; the thing in her hand felt familiar and nice, it made her feel controlled and strong. Deep breaths, that's right, deep. Inhale, exhale, in, out, the cold metal, in, out, the weight, the familiar shape, in, out. Slowly, her vision came to her again and she felt someone patting her back softly.

"There you are, love, slowly, in and out, there is it" her mother repeated softly.

Chloe's and Alya's gift had worked. She no longer felt numb and her breath was even, her vision was cleared and the heaving stopped.

"Wh-What... is.... happening..."

"sshhh, don't force it, baby, you had a panic attack, that's all"

"wh-I..." Adrien pressed his hand on hers and she took another deep breath. Adrien was safe, he was with her now... "Adri-"

"I'm here, deep breaths, Marinette"

Somehow she managed to calm herself down, she could breath again. On one hand she had Adrien's and in the other the yo-yo, her mother in front of her.

 

  
It was only a regular day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it has any mistake I finished writing this late at night and didn't have time to check it for any mistake!
> 
> As usual, Kudos and Comments are really appreciated ❤ 
> 
> I hope you liked this! :)


	3. New begining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are progressing for Paris' former superheroes.  
> Is it enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to day I am so sorry for not posting anything this months. I worked on the plot for a long time so it doesn't end up boring and I hope I accomplished it.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...let's just say they didn't eat enough apples or any food for that matter. Or exercise, they didn't do much exercise these days.

A regular school's check up on PE had shown how bad their condition was. Before, Marinette could lift Nino above her head if she tried hard enough but now? Even lifting a ball took her breath away.  
She and Adrien were found underweight too. Her parents had been really, extremely worried about their condition which ended up with her mother taking them to a nutritionist.

It wasn't that they weren't eating in purpose. Most of the food was tasteless at best, making them sick. Like everything else, something lacked.

But they had to eat.  For Marinette,  regaining her normal weight was easy; after having to push all that food down her throat most days she seemed more healthy at least physically, with rounded cheeks instead of the hollow cheekbones she wore all those months.  
Adrien didn't have the same luck.

When they hit the month and a half mark, Marinette looked chubbier while Adrien looked more or less the same when they started, which seemed to worry everyone but him since he was accustomed to it.

"Dude it's not natural that you can't put on weight, I can see your rib cage through your shirt"

Adrien just shrugged and paid no attention to Nino. He knew what was his problem from the start, but thinking about it was painful and, to his eyes, unnecessary. It was his father's vault; the constant model diets and the overwhelming physical activity he had to bear made him have an overly good metabolism, so there was a very small chance for him to fatten up on the next weeks.

"You should have told the doctor!" Chloe usually scolded him. He knew he should have, but he didn't have the energy to go back there and sit while the nutritionist nagged him about how he 'should eat more' and how his image was not important and how everyone was beautiful just as they were. He had told her that he didn't have body issues, but she didn't believe him.

Unfortunately for him, Alya wanted to exercise; and it wasn't just an easy marathon here and there or basketball or tennis. No, she wanted to practice Kickboxing. Apparently, she has been interested in it since she was 13 and after years of searching, she found a free program for beginners.

"It's in the new gym across the school. The instructor came here offering these pamphlets for the ones who wanted to try it!"

Alya had tried to drag Nino with her, but the DJ was not interested in that kind of sports - in practice, at least - so Alya had taken another look at her group and choose another one.

"Girl?" she had asked with puppy eyes. Marinette,  always weak to those eyes, agreed.

 

__________________________________________

 

"I'm not in the mood" Back home, Marinette threw herself on his bed, proceeding to whine about her best friend "I don't have the energy to do it"

"Then why did you say yes?" Adrien asked.

He knew why; if Nino had asked him to do anything he would have said yes instantly too. Maybe that's the reason Marinette was now acting better; thanks to Alya and her inability to accept a no, Marinette was doing sports and being more active in general, just like she did before.

She was happier, Adrien could see it. She would laugh more often and her panic attacks were not as bad as before, not as often. Unlike him, she had hobbies now; just the other day he saw her playing The Legend of Zelda, which has been abandoned a year ago and still waited for Player 2 to join.

Adrien wished he could be like that. Since the day he met Marinette (and Ladybug) he had wanted to be like her. As the years passed he thought he achieved it; that was before everything went to shit with their lives. Now, watching her being her usual past-self he longs once again. He tries to act cheerful but he can't... his only option is to benefit from his friends' happiness.

That's how the whole group had ended in the gym the next Friday after classes: both Alya and Marinette wearing gym clothes and the boys sitting on the bench with their bags.

The group of people gathered in a circle in the center of the gym while their instructor showed them how to warm up for the sport. Adrien was very familiar with the routine, it was similar to what he did before in Fencing classes.

Oh,  the academy, he kind of missed it. After his family had gone to hell he stopped going. Apart from having no motivation to attend, he also decided to spend the money on his new home and not in the academy anymore. His teacher had told him he could apply for a scholarship if he wanted, that Adrien didn't have to leave, he said, but the boy knew he had to.  If you asked him, right at that moment, if he would go back to school, he would say yes.

"Yes!" Nino cheered beside him; Alya was doing some sick yoga-like stretch and was grinning ear to ear as the instructor congratulated her. Marinette was cheering beside her too and blushed when she noticed a few guys looking at her. 

Adrien frowned and turned his vision to Alya again. Beside him, Nino smirked and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Don't look like that to the poor guy or he'll run out of here" Adrien frowned

"What are you talking about?"

"Dude! If looks could kill" Adrien stuttered

"I-I- he was being rude with Marinette, looking at her like that!" Nino chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry bro, your secret is safe with me" Adrien blushed hard and Nino winked at him.

"Shut up"

His crush on Marinette - Ladybug - was something he kept to himself, mostly because it was currently non-existent. Adrien used to love Ladybug a lot when they were partners, but if he had to be honest? He didn't feel like that anymore; not for Ladybug nor for Marinette.

With Marinette it was like the other half that was always missing was now there - some people called it soulmates - but romantic,  candlelight dinner and French kiss, love? Not so much.  It wasn't that Marinette was not loveable; she was perfect on Adrien's eyes, but the same perfection was what made him wary and unable to love her as she deserved.

His father, even with his many flaws, had been perfect in Adrien's eyes. That until his unmasking as Paris' villain, of course; Adrien's view of him had crumbled to pieces after that. He was now afraid of perfection, it didn't feel safe.  
He was no fool, of course; Marinette would never betray and do as much harm as Gabriel Agreste, aka Hawkmoth, could and would do to his son, but the fear was there and it surpassed his love for the hero. He couldn't trust his heart like that anymore, not even to his best friend.

Adrien may be depressed and love-starved like everyone thought, but he was not reckless; Marinette was a risk he was not going to take.

Said risk was currently kicking ass in the class a few feet away from him. She was a little out of shape because of all those years of inactivity, but her punches and kicks were on point. He remembered more than once being in the receiving end of those kicks and how they hurt, and now watching Marinette doing it by herself without the help of her miraculous made him strangely proud.

"Alright everyone, now that you've mastered the kick we'll practice the strength. For this, we'll give you punch mitts you can use in pairs. Everyone find a partner and punch the mitt for 10 minutes, then switch and try again. I'll be watching and you can call me when you need help"

Alya and Marinette took place in front of each other, Alya wearing the punch mitts and Marinette using her boxing gloves. They did it for a few minutes when Alya winced in pain.

"Ouch girl, you have too much strength behind those tinny arms, did you know that?"

Marinette blushed "I'm sorry...should I put less strength on it?" The instructor stopped beside the girls and bought another pair of mitts and gave them to Marinette.

"You may ask your friends over there to help you. The point of this exercise is to use your strength" The man turned around and left.

"He's scary! Where did he come from?!" Alya whispered to her friend who snorted and went to Nino and Adrien.

Nino stood up and took the mitt  from the Chinese  "I'll take this one, I don't think the princess Adrien over there could handle you, Marinette"

"Hey! what are you implying?"  "Who are you calling princess?!"

"Help me, Adrien, I don't have _that_  much strength anyway" Alya took his arm and passed him the mitts. She stood in front of him and started punching the instrument over and over.

"Do you think Marinette feels better?" he asked after a while. Alya punched again and frowned.

"You mean better like... being back to normal? Like, you know...before the Thing?"

Adrien nodded "She seems happier somehow, I don't know..."

"I don't think she's back to normal, Adrien," she said flatly. "Yeah she looks like she's holding on better than before, but I know her like no one else, I know she's struggling" she paused "Just like you"

Adrien frowned and scoffed "I am not-"

"I know you haven't noticed. You are progressing too, Agreste, maybe slower than Marinette is, but still" she smiled then "You seem happier somehow"

"Well...all thanks to you guys. You, Chloe and even Nino who doesn't know what is going on, everyone helps"

The kept practicing her punch and kicks in silence for the next minutes, all until Nino shrieked.

"Marinette that was amazing!" the DJ held up his hand to high five the girl. She was blushing and laughing in delight "Did you guys see that? I've never seen someone jump that high!"

"Oh I've seen her do that a lot of times," Adrien said and froze, just remembering the fact that Nino did not know about their secret.

"Dude, really? When?"

Adrien paled "Oh, She..I-I"

"Adrien is just exaggerating" Alya interfered "She did it once and model boy here couldn't stop talking about it"

"Ye-yeah! that" Marinette rubbed her head nervously "Just a one-time thing, nothing special"

Nino looked like he didn't believe them but only muttered 'alright' and left to sit on the bench. The teacher called them again to do a relaxing exercise and Adrien left to sit with Nino.

He hated lying to Nino. The boy was his best friend and the first person who should have known about his secret identity, but by law, they couldn't tell anyone, not even their families, the truth about their former superhero condition.

________________________________________________________

 

"Ladybug and Chat Noir, from today since 5:40 you are now relieved from your duty as superheroes and protectors of Paris and the world. You are to give your miraculous up to the witnesses and to go back to your civilian lives. The person under the masks is now your only identities." The Mayor gave them a pen and a contract to sign.

"This contract is to guarantee complete silence about what is happening here. This dictates that under no circumstances you are allowed to tell anyone about your past as superheroes. This contract also dictates that any practice under the name of Ladybug and or Chat Noir is deemed illegal and will be penalized with prison for both of you, same if you break any of the rules on this contract"

________________________________________________________

 

Nino thinks the reason for the change of Adrien was only because of his father being Hawkmoth. Adrien couldn't say the truth. It was a mess.

He gripped the fake baton on his jacket pocket. It would be too easy, just show it to Nino quickly, nobody but him would see it. His friend was no fool, he would instantly understand what it meant, he would be there for him.

He was going to do it, screw consequences. Nino deserved to know.

"Nino" his friend stopped looking at his girlfriend and turned to Adrien. He pushed his hand on his pocket and was pushing it out "I-"

"Nino! Look what I did!" Alya was waving at them and showing them how she was on the floor doing a perfect split.

"Oh my god! Alya love that's amazing!" he stood up and went to help her to stand up. Adrien put his hands on his head, defeated. He was so close...

"Adrien?" Marinette stood up in front of him looking worried. "Are you okay?"

"What, me? yeah, I'm perfectly fine" the smile he gave her had no trace of happiness, whatsoever. Marinette frowned and took his hand. Adrien sighed "I was going to tell Nino about... about the thing"

The girl looked downcast and sat on the floor in front of him, his hand still intertwined with hers. "If... If Tikki was still here, she would say that's wrong, but I know that this secret is breaking you inside..."

"You think I should tell him?"

She opened her mouth to answer but a scream stopped her. A woman came from outside, her face full of panic.

"Everyone! Hide!" She screamed at the gym.

_"What's going on?" "Is she crazy?"_

"M'aam, what's the matter?"

The woman took a deep breath trying to make her voice work again

"Akuma!!"  


___________________________________________________

 

Sometimes Adrien had weird thoughts, most of them came from his natural instinct of always thinking of the worst case scenario or his constant bad luck that seemed to be following him around all the time. His worst thoughts were always about the same topic: what if, for some random reason, Hawkmoth came back?.

Not only was it dangerous for the city, because Ladybug and Chat Noir were no longer there to help, but also because Hawkmoth was his father. Adrien knew his father and how vengeful he was; as soon as he was liberated he would come for Adrien, and by extension, to Marinette and her family.

That was not possible anyway, he comforted himself, his father was behind bars, he had no money left so he couldn't hire any lawyer, not a good one at least. There was no way that Gabriel Agreste could leave prison.

___________________________________________________

 

_"-Several citizens reported the new and unexpected apparition of an Akuma on the streets of Paris. So far, the Akuma has not hurt anybody. The Mayor of Paris said a few moments ago"_

_"The police has already looked for Hawkmoth, and the former supervillain Gabriel Agreste is, as expected, still locked in Paris' Highest Security Prison"_

"Oh my God" Sabine cried in front of the TV. Adrien and her daughter had come an hour ago, barely speaking and hugging each other like their lives depended on it, muttering something about the news.   They just ran as she turned on the TV to find the face of Nadja Chamack and the headlines "New Akuma attacks Paris".

She told her kids to stay in their room, to lock the door and come out just when she told them to. Tom had come hurriedly from the bakery. They closed it, then their house.

Both were in the living room now, looking at the screen with concern. It has been nearly a year since the last Akuma - and since Hawkmoth- and the city was not prepared for it. People missing, the police collapsed and the Mayor being unhelpful as always.

She feared for her kids, feared that any moment they would take them back to fight the Akuma.

"Nobody but us knows who they are" her husband reassured her.

"But what if...what if that thing comes for them?" she sobbed " They don't have their powers anymore what will they do? They have no way of protecting themselves"

Unknowingly to them, both teenagers were hearing those words from the slightly ajar trap door on the top of the stairs, matching scared looks on their faces.

"They know..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always kudos, comments,hearts or anything you want to give me are appreciated . Thank you for making it this far :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! The next chapter should be ready this week.
> 
> Of course Kudos and comments are always welcome! Don't be shy I want to know who liked this ❤


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